Yesterday's legal action against two former Bangladeshi prime
ministers raises questions about the commitment of Dhaka's
military-backed interim government to restoring democracy. Former
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed was arrested on charges of
extortion, and Khaleda Zia, prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and
2001 to 2006, was ordered to court on tax evasion charges. These
actions came just one day after the interim government announced
its road map for a return to democracy.[1]The U.S. should stress the
importance of respect for individual liberties and due process of
law as the interim government seeks to address the country's
long-standing corruption problems. Washington should also encourage
Dhaka to immediately lift its ban on political activity to
demonstrate to Bangladeshis and the international community that it
is committed to restoring democracy as soon as possible.

Corruption and Democracy

Bangladesh has been called one of the most corrupt nations in
the world, and it had become increasingly apparent in recent years
that corruption was weakening the country's democratic institutions
and fostering an environment of political violence. In early
January, the opposition Awami League announced its refusal to
participate in elections, raising concerns that opening the polls
would only provoke violence and chaos. With this backdrop, the
international community initially welcomed the postponement of
elections (originally scheduled for January 22, 2007) and the
military's proclamation of a state of emergency.

Washington and many European capitals have since begun to grow
impatient with the military's prolonged suspension of civil rights
and delay in establishing an early election date. Over 170 major
political figures (including the son of Khaleda Zia), businessmen,
and cabinet ministers have been arrested on corruption charges over
the last several months. Pressure from international capitals
forced the interim government to backtrack on an attempt in April
to exile both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladeshis are increasingly skeptical of the interim
government's intentions in light of its plan to delay elections by
over a year and its continuing restrictions on political activity,
which had been scheduled to end in early May. Although most
Bangladeshis have been supportive of the effort to root out
corruption, they seek signs that the interim government remains
committed to restoring democracy and is not merely using
anti-corruption efforts to pressure political opponents.

Keeping the Islamists at Bay

Another major concern is Islamists' growing presence in the
country and the possibility that they will take advantage of
weakened political institutions, poor governance, and growing
frustration with corruption to increase their influence in society.
The U.S. has long valued Bangladesh as a moderate voice in the
Muslim world. Widespread bombings in the country in August 2005 by
extremists seeking to impose strict Islamic rule alarmed both
domestic and international observers about the threat posed by
local extremist groups. To its credit, the military-backed interim
government has taken a tough line on extremism. In March of this
year, it executed six extremists convicted in the August 2005
bombings.

The roughly equivalent political power of the two main political
parties--Sheikh Hasina's Awami League (AL) and Khaleda Zia's
Bangladesh National Party (BNP)--gave the relatively small Islamist
parties a political voice disproportionate to their popular
support.[2] The BNP had ruled from 2001 to 2006 in
coalition with Islamist parties and had been reluctant to prosecute
the perpetrators of political violence that had connections to
radical Islamists. For instance, BNP coalition partner
Jamaat-e-Islami apparently had ties to extremist leader Bangla
Bhai, who promoted Islamic revolution in Bangladesh and was
executed by the interim government in March.[3] Former Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina survived an assassination attempt in August
2004 when a grenade was thrown at her delegation, killing 20
others. She accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance of involvement in the
assassination attempt.

U.S. and Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies have cooperated
closely on several cases related to domestic and international
terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department. With U.S.
technical assistance, Bangladesh drafted an improved anti-money
laundering law and created a Financial Intelligence Unit in 2006.
Still, there is concern that Bangladesh could serve as a base of
support to various militant groups. Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami
(HuJI), a terrorist organization founded by Pakistan-based leader
Fazlur Rehman that has ties to al-Qaeda, apparently remains active
in Bangladesh and may have established terrorist training camps in
Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts.[4]

Press for a Return to Democracy

The U.S. will need to follow developments in Bangladesh closely
over the next several months to ensure that it charts a course back
to democracy. Washington should coordinate closely with other
European donors to ensure that they are conveying consistent
messages to Dhaka on the importance of respecting civilian rights
and democratic principles. For the present, Washington should
insist that the suspension of political activity be lifted and that
corruption cases be carried out expeditiously in accordance with
due process.

Lisa A. Curtis is Senior
Research Fellow for South Asia in the Asian Studies Center at The
Heritage Foundation.